Wind Casualties

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Permalink Reply by Chris Setz on October 28, 2013 at 21:30

I see a lot of trees in Haringey - most have 'normal' pits. The Tarmac is almost always a horrible mistake - the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing. Hardly any though.

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Permalink Reply by Chris Setz on October 28, 2013 at 21:29

Don't know what will happen - here's partly why:

Each one is done on it's merits- hundreds of trees are replaced each year in the borough.  It's can be a surprising complex decision and the Tree Officer needs to be well trained.

As far as I can tell, the Tree Officer looks at how many trees are around the site already - some places have trees that, now they've grown, are too close together.  Or maybe someone asked if it could not be replaced, giving a good reason.  Some people are worried that their insurance premiums will go up if a tree is too close to their house (some say 15m means you have to declare it and your premiums will rise).  Or that the tree was obscuring the light into a living room or bedroom. Or a lamppost has been placed right next to it (not good for the tree) by a thoughtless contractor. Or the pavement surface makes it unwise.  Or there is some environmental info from another Council dept that informs the decision. Or someone well-meaning but not privy to all the facts (like me) puts an oar in.

Then, obviously, account is taken as to why it came down. Given that climate change is likely to create more extreme weather conditions, is it a dangerous waste of money to replace a tree in the same spot or was the fall a one-off? Granted, the tree will take years to grow, but that's where we started from...

Then there's the issue of like-for-like. Policies on species change - people weren't so concerned, for instance, with biodiversity when some trees were first planted (as long ago as the 1980's in some cases).  So one species may well be replaced with an entirely different one. Currently Ash trees are under threat and there's no dieback-resistant strain yet commonly available, so that choice is no longer possible really, due to the relatively recent attack of ash-dieback that is quite threatening to every Ash tree in London.

Some people want fruit trees planted in streets, other say they attract rats. Some nuts, others warn against squirrels.  Some environmentalists don't want apple trees that all fruit at the same time, as we get gluts of apples around this time of year when, if we planted a different species, we could have them for longer periods. Plums might be a better choice.  Tree Officers tend to base their first choice on a botanical view as far as I can tell, but I could be wrong as I know nothing about botany.

As much as possible, residents wishes are accommodated - after all, we have to live with the decision 24/7. About every five years, the Aboricultural department produces a draft strategy that addresses these and other strategic issues and invites comments/input/ideas, then puts the result into practice as the 'Haringey Tree Strategy'.  The last Haringey Tree Strategy was issued in 2008, so we're due a new one, consultation for which just closed- it's still a draft strategy for 2014-18.  

The Council Cabinet members will decide whether or not to ratify it in December. Although I think it's important, given the amount of poverty around and severe cuts by central government forcing them to save money, who wants the job of deciding where the knife falls?

I've been told that cutting the budget for trees is not popular, but something's got to give. Guess that volunteering is the future for a range of services whilst we remain so cash-strapped.

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Permalink Reply by matt on October 28, 2013 at 21:45

Google could easily afford to pay for 10,000 new trees across London Chris, as a welcome to their new HQ being built in Kings Cross. Funding can come from many different sources, not just from local taxes or residents having for buy them at £150 a pop.

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Permalink Reply by Chris Setz on October 28, 2013 at 22:15

Thanks Matt - I agree that all the large corporates could pay more for being in business here, but they don't seem to want to.

There are a range of grants available to residents for tree-planting nonetheless, from the UK Tree charities mostly. Nil desperandum.

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